Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1887-01-01
NEW YEAR THOUGHTS.

HNN0 tLI6Se SdIl1G tUUuSHLS pTtSGHlcu
themselves. These lessons are taught
the whole year round i'm the ups and
downs and uncertainties of life. They
are taught in the Divine Word by its
living voice, and in the sadder reali-
ties of every day life. But we seem
to have no time to heed them. To us
the love and attachment for worldly
things are too strong to be SHAKEN by
serious thought, or to be changed by
the fast fading destiny of all that is
mortal. Hope burns so bright in the
human breast, that we are ever
strong; young or old, we see no cause
for fear in the common dissolution of
nature in and around us. The attrac-
tions of the world are too great =
too dear to all. The world and its
ways have powerful hold on man
nowadays. Who does not "make
with the world ?" Show me that
purblind wretch and foolish, self
willed outcast! For him the Word
of God has no meaning; the Temple
of the Lord no place! He alone of
all the passing throng is really profit
ing by the lessons he sees from day
to day. In prophetic times penance
was preached by order of an offended
God. In apostolic ages savation was
preached to the multitudes, but they
had to become humble and persecut-
ed followers of Christ. Later on the
christian religion was separated from
the worldly by the austere inhabi-
tants of the mountains and Deserts
Then came the religious revivalists
amid the conflicting disorders of
new order of things. The missionar-
les of the Gospel followed, and faith
fully they worked until almost every
nation has been reached. In our time
what more could be desired, and in
custom it is as easy to be q christian
as it is to live. There is example and
practice, too, but in exact accordance
with the world, and yet God says the
worlds ways are not His ways
Christianity Is made a secondary
effort in the struggle for worldly sue
cess and frequently it is the prime
mover in that direction. The better
the christian the better he lives, and
moves and has his being in worldly
sense. Yet is Christ not in direct
contradiction to the world? It's so
in all churches, and the minister who
breaches twice year about the de-
pravity of the age, the follies of fash
ion, the struggles for the good things
of the world, the conflicting opinion
Of men, socially, religiousiy and scien-
tifically, makes with them the most.
What we mean is, that preaching OPP
position to the ways of the world, he
lacks the courage to oppose it in prac-
tice, and alas for his salary and his
position if he did. While the course
the people are taking may be for the
there is something radically inconsis-
tent somewhere; and that combining
in our earthly pilgrimage the straight
and the narrow path is novelty
never before attempted. The end
thereof no man can tell. 1t may be
for the best and it may not. The
fruits of such an example of follow
ing Christ, may awaken christianity
some fine morning in no distant GEN.
fury to find all the world is infidel,
as centuries ago a mixture of the
spiritual and temporal forces found it
Arian. Hundreds and thousands of
poor, simple souls are looking eagerly
for christian example, and finding
only worldly ostentation far beyond
their reach, they sicken spiritually
and die mentally and morally and
join the fast-deepening strata of reli-
gious offal from which spring -four
ishing forests ofatheism and intidelity
that Gospel axe can never touch
Why should we be better than our
neighbor, simply because we feed
under the table with the dogs, while
he is filled with good things. If re-
ligion is so essential to our salvation
why not of equal Importance to him.
If we must put on sack cloth and
ashes why should he be clothed in
soft garments and yet be saved. If
he serves the Lord in rioting and
feasting in his own good way, why
should we not in ours !; his is higher
order of socialism, ours lower, and
yet all men are born equal and have
equal rights under the law. We know
it is fallacious reasoning, yet look
around and see if it is not too true.-
In former times christianity supplied
what education lacked; now educa-
ton supplies what christianity lacks.
Take education away and allow the
same social and religious sway, and
how quick red-handed anarchy would
spread. AS it is order is preserved
and religion propagated by the body
souls. They have strength, too, but
happy for the nation they do not
know it. If it is a fair question to
ask, are our lawmakers, our corpora
tions, our spiritual leaders, our men
of best worldly circumstances
these individually or collectively
models and examples for us to follow,
making due allowance for the differ
ence of our stations? Why, then,
should we have good will for them,
and if they make the best out of their
positions, why should we not do rela-
lively tine same i'll ours. II they
make ten thousand dollars dishonest
ly, because they have the chance,
why should we not make hundred
the same way if we can? Or if they
are fashionably religious, why should
we go to the trouble to be sincerely
and practically so. We know our
ministers will feel like quoting dameg-
ing testimony against us from the
Bible, but in this hypothesis the
Bible is dead-letter; where It's teach
ings are not in practice, its argum ents
are not applicable. Still, the conse-
quences rest with them, but this world
pays no regard to consequences
Fancy Christ establishing church
and ministry on professional basis,
on the hour and fee system, instead
of upon His soul-saving grace? Then,
indeed, few would be chosen. Has
religion not drifted to this. We may
pick out number of poor, plain,
simple souls in every congregation
the real fruit of religious life in prac.
tice, and the church wouldn't miss
them; but touch hair of one of its
pillars and woe to your rashness and
imprudence. The church could stand
in a religious point of view without
the one, bat not without the other in
a worldly sense. Then it follows
necessarily that it is q worldly insti